Life-saving baft



F. ZARDINONI.

LIFE SAVING RAFT. APPLICATION FILED mums. 19m. nzuswcn MAY 8. m9.

Patented Dec. 9,1919.

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LIFE SAVING RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 19H]. RENEWED MAY 8. I919.

1,324,634. Patented Dec. 9,1919.

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F. ZARD PNONI.

L'IFE SAVING RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1918- RENEWED MAY 8| l9l9.

1,324,634. Patented Dec. 9, 1919.:

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LIFE-SAVING RAFT.

Specification of I zette'rs Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application filed March as, 1918', Serial n 225, 2r1. Renewed May 8, 1919. Serial No. 295,710.

be suspended to the side of a. vessel or ship,

and used for saving lives in emergency cases or otherwise.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the raft may be suspended from the side of a vessel and in cases of emergency be quickly dropped or lowered to a floating position on the water. i

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a raft so constructed that when the raft is suspended from the side of a vessel the port holes or windows in the hull or side of the vessel will not be obstructed.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide protective means against the water the deck of the raft when afloat. Also, a further general object of the invention, is to provide astructure as above characterized, which is comparatively light, strong and seaworthy, consisting of relatively few parts of simple form, and which may, therefore, be constructed and applied to ships or vessels at a relatively small cost. with the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrange ment of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ship provided with my invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the inside arrangement of one of the rafts, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of the ship showing the arrangement of the rafts, Fig. 41. is a vertical section'through one of the rafts, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail of oneof the shutters, Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the shutter in open position, and Fig. 7 is a detail in erspective showin the mounting of the s utters.

eferring to the drawin s in detail, 5 designates generally the body walls of the raft, substantially a rectangular cubic conrazftf Interiorly of the body walls 5,

struction, preferably of metal, wood, or other lightmaterial, and water tight; the respective dimensions depending upon. the desired weight sustaining capacity of the are provided the transverse and longitudinal dividing walls indicated at 6 and 7. These dividing walls are constructed watertight and subdivide the inclosed space of the body walls5 into a plurality of water tight compartments 8. In the top and bottom body walls 5 I provide the several series of diametrically opposed openings 9 and 10. Tubes 11 are extended through said opening and tightly sealed about the bottom and top walls 5 to prevent any Water entering the water proof compartments 8 when the raft is afloat. The openings 9 and 10 correspond in number to the ship windows or port holes covered by the raft when suspended, and may be of any desired size or shape, and arranged in any manner desired. Adjacent to each series of the openings 10, and upon relatively opposite sides thereof,

in the external surface of the top body wall 5 or deck of the raft, are provided the grooves 12, said grooves receiving the rods 13 for sliding movement; the clips 14 holding said rods for operative movement in the grooves 12-. Disks 15 are secured to the rods 13, in spaced relation to each other and adapted to frictionally engage the surface of the raft deck when moved by the rods 13.

An L-shaped lever 16, is fulcrumed as at 17, having one end of each of the rods 13 loosely connected to the arm 18. By moving the lever arm 16 in one direction the disks 15 are drawn tightly over the openings 10.

' p The lugs 20 having the central recesses 21 are secured on one of the side body walls 5 and adjacent to the upper edge thereof, said lugs being in spaced relation to each other and curved. On the opposite side body wall 5 and adjacent to the upper edge thereof are secured the eye bolts 22.

23 indicates protective sides hinged to the edges of the top body wall 5 or deck of the raft as indicated by the numerals 24. The sides 23 are hinged to fold inwardly, and their adjacent walls are adapted to be connected at their ends, by the hooks 25 to retain said sides in their vertical positions.

To the side of a vessel below the water line, I secure the lugs 26 having a beveled edge 27 and the recess 28, said lugs being arranged in spaced relation corresponding to the lugs 20 on the side body wall 5 of the raft, and adapted for seating the lugs '20 whereby the raft is supported when suspended to the side of a vesel.

In the operation of my invention as above described, by means of ropes and pulleys attached to the vessel frame and the eye bolts 22, the raft is swung to a position for seating the lugs 20 on the lugs or supports 26. The raft is then drawn close to the side of the vessel and there secured by the lifting ropes or other suitable means.

The deck of the raft is now adjacent to the vessel, and as previously stated, the open ing 10 should be in registering relation with the windows or port holes of the vessel. The lever 5 is positionecso that the disks 15 do not cover the openings 10, and thus, there is an unobstructed passage of light to the windows of the vessel which are covered by the suspended rafts.

At a time of emergency or otherwise, the raft is freed from the ropes or other means holding it to the side of the vessel and the raft by its own specific weight falls toward the waterthe upper part forming an arc of a circle while the lower part is urged upwardly by the pressure of the water whereby the raft is brought to a horizontal and float-- ing position in the water. The openings 10 may now be closed by positioning the disks 15, and the protective sides raised and secured to each other by the hooks Passengers may now be lowered to the raft and the raft quickly towed away from the ship.

It is to be understood that. in case of a large vessel and carrying a large number of passengers, there can be several of my improved life saving rafts hung on to the sides of the vessel, depending upon the size of each raft and the length of the vessel. Any number of the rafts could be launched and loaded as quickly as one raft and without confusion.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, the construction, manner of operation, and several advantages of the invention will be clearly and fully understood. It is to be borne in mind, however, that these features of my invention are susceptible of many mechanical variations and may be embodied in numerous alternative forms. Therefore, while I have shown and described what I at present believe to be the best embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that I expressly reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate modifications as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim l. A raft comprising a buoyant structure adapted to be suspended on the side of a vessel and having a plurality of transverse light admitting passages adapted to coincide with the port holes of the vessel, and means operable to close said passages at one of their ends.

2. A raft, comprising a buoyant structure adapted to be suspended on the side of a vessel and having series of transverse light admitting passages adapted to coincide with series of port holes in the side of the vessel, and means operable for simultaneously closing the series of passages at one of their ends.

3. A raft, comprising a buoyant structure adapted to be suspended on the side of the vessel, rods mounted for longitudinal movement relative to the opposite sides of one of the ends of aseries of passages, disks connected to said rods and adapted for simultaneously closing the said series of passages by movement of the rods in one direction, and means for operating the said rods.

4. A raft, comprising a buoyant structure adapted to be suspended on the side of a vessol, and having a series of transverse light admitting passages adapted to coincide with a se ies of port holes in the side of a vessel, rods mounted for longitudinal movement relative to the opposite sides of one of the ends of a series of passages, disks connected between said rods in spaced relation and adapted for simultaneously closing the said series of passages by movement of the rods in one direction, a lever operatively connected to the said rods whereby the rods may be shifted for the operative and non-operative positions of the said disks.

The combination with a ship or vessel of a life saving raft, means for suspending the raft from the deck of the vessel, means on the side of said ship for supporting the raft where suspended with its top or deck adjacent to the side of the ship, means on the raft for coacting engagement with said supporting means, said coacting means being adapted to hold the raft against outward n'iovement and constituting a fulcrum for the outward and downward movement of the raft from the side of the vessel to a floating position on the water when the raft is re leased.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

FAUST Z ARDINONT. 

